


Perfect

by maybemarky



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-07-03 20:32:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15826413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybemarky/pseuds/maybemarky
Summary: A series of interconnected one-shots exploring JJ and Emily's developing relationship following Emily's return to the BAU as Unit Chief. Each chapter is based on a prompt for each letter of the alphabet, and the story will be told alphabetically rather than chronologically.





	1. Attractive

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, y'all. I'm not usually one for author's notes, but this one has a back story. I've had a serious case of writer's block and several months ago, in an effort to get myself jumpstarted again, I happened across this list of prompts for every letter of the alphabet for which people were sharing relationship headcanon. Never intending to have anyone see what I was writing, I totally borrowed the prompts but made no note of where they came from. The good news is, it did help get me writing again, and what I intended to be just an exercise for myself yielded a fair amount of halfway decent material I now feel like sharing (you'll sooner or later get the whole alphabet's worth – I've got probably three-quarters of them written, just not in order). The bad news, of course, is that I cannot for the life of me find where I discovered these prompts I used and have no idea who to credit. So, if any one knows where these came from or who I can thank – please do pass that information along.
> 
> What follows is a series of interconnected one-shots, presented in alphabetical and not chronological order, exploring the development of JJ and Emily's relationship after Emily returned to the BAU to become Unit Chief. Assume everything that happened on the show prior to Season 12 holds true, and then it kind of goes off into my own re-imagining from there.
> 
> First up, A is for Attractive - what do JJ and Emily find attractive about the other?
> 
> Thanks for reading!

"You should wear your hair up," JJ suggested, sitting cross-legged on Emily's bed as she watched the other woman get ready.

Emily paused, making eye contact in the full-length mirror that hung on the inside of the closet as she finished tying the wrap dress snug around her body. "We're going out to dinner, Jay, not into the field."

"Yeah, I know," JJ shrugged. "I like it when you wear your hair up."

"You do?"

JJ nodded, biting her lip.

"Well, okay then," Emily responded, feeling a spark somewhere deep in her body at the look on JJ's face. She moved into the en suite bathroom, grabbing a brush off the vanity before coming back into the room, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail.

"Higher," JJ mumbled softly, suddenly embarrassed. She and Emily had been dating for several months now, had been friends for a decade before that, but JJ couldn't help the shy feeling that washed over her as she spoke up to share this preference with Emily.

"What'd you say?"

"I like it when you wear your hair in a high ponytail," JJ spoke, a little more self-assuredly. "Or maybe a bun."

Emily paused, maintaining eye contact in the mirror even as she shook her hair out, adjusting her ponytail more toward the top of her head and wrapping it into a bun. "This is my weekend-morning-haven't-showered-yet look," she shrugged. "Is this even appropriate for the restaurant you picked out?"

JJ didn't answer immediately, instead walking over behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist and placing a long, slow kiss to the side of her neck. "I don't think I want to go out anymore," she whispered.

Emily moaned into the kiss, turning her body in JJ's arms until their lips met. "So you've got a thing for high ponytails and messy buns?"

"Kinda," JJ whispered, running her fingers up Emily's arms and across her shoulders, entwining her fingers together at the back of her neck.

"Kinda?" Emily questioned, leaning her head to the side as JJ's lips found their way to the sensitive spot just under her ear.

"It's not your hair, baby," JJ spoke between kisses. "It's your neck."

"My neck?" Emily pulled back to make eye contact, her hands resting on JJ's hips.

JJ nodded. "The back of it, specifically." She reached her hands down and played with the hem of Emily's shirt. "Your hair's always down, or in a low ponytail, and you look beautiful like that, you do. But…"

Emily reached her own hands down, pulling her shirt out of JJ's hands and lifting it up over her head. "But…?"

"God, Em," JJ practically growled, walking the other woman backward until she was pushed up against the wall. She took a deep, steadying breath before leaning forward to whisper into Emily's ear. "But…when you're at home, or at my place, and you have your hair pulled up when you first wake up in the morning, or when you're running around in my yard with the boys, or when you're trying not to get it wet in the shower…that's _my_ Emily. The Emily nobody else gets to see. The Emily with whom I get to do this," she reached up, nipping gently at her earlobe; "and this," quickly running her tongue up the side of Emily's neck; "and this," JJ whispered before attaching her lips at the juncture between Emily's neck and shoulder, sucking the skin into her mouth.

Emily felt her knees weaken as JJ's hands begin to wander, her mouth following not far behind. "Take me to bed," she whispered.

"Gladly."

* * *

"I can't believe I practically jumped you like some sex-crazed teenager," JJ muttered, her face buried in a pillow, hoping to hide the embarrassment she knew would be clear on her face.

"Well, apparently I have a _very_ sexy neck," Emily answered, jumping when JJ playfully slapped at her stomach.

"Don't tease."

"Oh, I'm totally serious. I will never wear my hair down around you again, I swear. Not now that I know what's in it for me."

"Emily," JJ warned, her face reddening further.

Emily turned onto her side to face JJ, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "For me, it's your legs," she whispered a moment later.

JJ stayed quiet, raising a single eyebrow.

"It feels like such a cop-out of an answer," Emily continued. "I mean, any time you wear a shorter skirt, _everybody's_ eyes turn towards you. And shorts? I thought Alvez was going to pass out when he saw you at the barbecue at Rossi's last weekend."

JJ rolled her eyes. "You're exaggerating."

"Am I? They all looked, Rossi, Reid, I think Tara might have even been eyeing you up. I was just glad Morgan wasn't there to see you. I know he drooled over you, back in the day. I didn't feel like I could say anything to stop him then, but I caught him checking you out multiple times."

"Maybe because you were, too?"

Emily grinned. "Yeah, maybe." She paused, tucking a strand of hair behind JJ's ear. "I am so, so turned on by your personality, and your brains, and the way you make everybody around you feel so comfortable and cared about, but God, Jay, those legs just do something to me. Like, it's primal or something. They're just so long, and toned, and _…perfect_."

JJ rolled her eyes again, trying to mask the slight smile and blush she felt rising again on her cheeks. "You hungry?" she asked, moving to get up off the bed. "If we leave in the next five minutes and don't hit any lights, we can probably make it before they give away our reservation."

"Sounds good," Emily agreed, moving to get up herself. "It's just…" she paused, waiting for JJ to make eye contact before winking at the other woman. "You might want to trade that skirt you'd planned to wear for something that hides a little more or we're never going to get out of here."


	2. Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter: B is for Baby.

"You okay?"

Emily startles, not having seen JJ approach her seat on the plane as she'd been lost in thought, staring out the window. "Mmhmm," she hums, settling back in her seat, smiling at her girlfriend. "I'm okay."

JJ looks skeptical, but doesn't say anything more, instead taking the seat across from Emily and watching her quietly. The case had been hard, like so many of them are when they involved children, but it had a happy outcome, all things considered. They'd caught the unsub, who had been performing Cesarean abductions, selling the babies, and murdering the mothers once he no longer had a need for them, before he killed the last mother. The locals had quickly been able to track down the three babies he'd already sold to be reunited with their families.

They'd all been there at the takedown, JJ herself had called for the ambulance for the mother while Alvez and Rossi apprehended the unsub. But it was Emily who'd discovered the baby, no more than a few hours old, wrapped in an old sheet and lain in a box. And once the mother was in one ambulance, JJ had watched as Emily cradled the newborn to her, had seen the glimmer in her eye as she gently cooed and grasped the baby's fingers, observed the sad smile she tried to hide as the baby was loaded up into an ambulance of her own.

JJ knows how much Emily's always wanted a baby, and she likes to think that if they had had their lives sorted out enough to get together way back when they first met, maybe they each would have carried a baby or two. Her heart aches, sometimes, when she thinks too hard about what could have been, and on days when she's being particularly honest with herself she'll admit there's a hole in their lives where a child with Emily's pale skin, dark features, sarcastic wit, and kind heart would fit so perfectly. But it's no more than a _what if_ now, she knows. Time marched on while they were still busy figuring themselves out, and by the time they're emotionally ready to take that plunge their bodies just aren't anymore.

"I saw you, back at the house, with the baby, Em." JJ looks up, gauging Emily's response. Hard as she tries, she can't turn off the profiler in her, and she sees Emily's eyes light up, sees her pulse start to race, sees her sit up just a tiny little bit straighter, probably imperceptible to someone who doesn't know her as well as JJ does. "You were good with her."

"Yeah. I'm glad she's safe."

"Me too, but that's not what I mean."

Emily raises an eyebrow but stays silent. She knows exactly what JJ means, and she knows that JJ knows that she knows too. They've had this conversation multiple times before, if only through the ability to say everything without actually saying anything at all, a skill they developed over their ten years as friends and perfected during their two years as more.

"You want a baby," JJ whispers, a statement more than a question, and she leans forward and takes Emily's hands in her own.

They've got Henry and Michael, and JJ knows that Emily thinks of them as her own more and more everyday as their lives become increasingly entwined. Michael, at least, won't really ever remember a time without Emily in his life as another parent. But even though Emily would never admit it, JJ also knows that there's a part of her that will always feel like she's raising somebody else's children, and she wants so badly to give her a baby of her own, one that's truly _theirs_ , not JJ's and Will's, and then Emily's too.

"I'm thirty-nine," JJ says quietly, cutting off the protest beginning to form on Emily's lips. "I can't make any promises that it'd even work, and there are risks we'll have to talk about, but we can try, Emily. I want to try, if you do, okay?"

They both know the ship has sailed on Emily having a biological child, but JJ's ten years younger and she's sure they could find a donor who looks like her partner. Emily could be involved in the pregnancy, and present for the birth, and be that baby's mom right from the get-go in ways she'll never get with their other kids. She can picture Emily's warm hand rested on her growing belly as they cuddle in bed, sees the pride on her face as she introduces their baby to their friends, imagines the tears that spring to Emily's eyes the first time their child calls her 'mama.' She feels her heart start to race with excitement, and the gentle butterflies in her stomach flap faster and faster until it feels more like a hummingbird when she remembers again, she's _thirty-nine_. She was lucky with Michael, she knows, and she'd never felt as old as she did the day she saw her chart at her OB's office labeled as a 'geriatric pregnancy.' But then she looks up again and sees the hope in Emily's eyes and she knows she'll do whatever she can to give Emily a baby.

"JJ…" Emily trails off, the light in her eyes gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

JJ squeezes her hands, standing to go sit at the other end of the plane with Tara and Matt while Emily goes over her paperwork. "Just think about it. Please, Em?"

Emily nods, her heart swelling as she takes in the magnificent woman before her, feeling a surge of gratefulness for her current life. And as she settles back in with the file in front of her, the image of a baby with her coloring and JJ's features dances across her mind, obscuring the words written on the page.

* * *

They don't talk about it, not out loud with actual words anyway, for several weeks, but JJ watches Emily during that time. She sees how protective Emily is of a pregnant woman, a victim's wife, they interview on a case. She notices the joy and longing that show up on her face when Henry's friend's mom brings her newborn to their Little League practice. And she sees the tears that spring to Emily's eyes when, one random Friday at bedtime, completely out of the blue, Michael whispers "'Night, Mama," as he hugs Emily before bed.

It's later that night, tangled up in their own bed sheets and lying on their sides, face to face, that Emily brings it up again. "Our family is perfect the way it is," she says quietly, reaching a hand up to stroke gently down the side of JJ's face. "We don't need another baby to make it complete."

JJ feels her heart sink, not even fully realizing until that moment just how much of her own hopes and dreams were tied up in this idea, how badly she wanted to carry another baby, _Emily's_ baby. And she knows it shows on her face because she sees the disappointment reflected in Emily's eyes where only peace and contentment had shone a moment earlier.

"I don't need a baby that's mine, that's _ours_ ," she continues, voice wavering where it had been so sure before. "I want Henry and Michael to feel like they're mine too, and if we have a baby together I feel like that changes the relationship we already have. Like the baby is mine, but they're not. I want them to be mine, Jay, to be ours. And I know they have a dad, but it takes a village, right? And maybe I wasn't around in the very beginning but I'm here now. I'm here now."

"You are," JJ agrees, kissing her through the tears trailing down both their cheeks. "You're here now."

And maybe she'll always have a little hole in her heart where their baby together could be, but JJ's pretty sure, given the way her heart swells to plug that hole the next morning when she comes downstairs to find the boys and Emily huddled together on the couch with a Lego creation in progress on the coffee table in front of them and Saturday morning cartoons playing softly in the background, it's going to be just fine.


	3. Cuddle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C is for Cuddle.

It's 4:45 on a Tuesday morning, and JJ's been laying awake in bed for at least an hour, watching the clock tick closer and closer to morning, feeling the good night's rest she so desperately needed slip further and further out of her grasp. She's trying to lay still, breathe deeply, and just enjoy this time. It's in the darkness of the night, wrapped up in the covers with Emily beside her that JJ can allow herself to relax in knowing that _this_ is her life now. That she's happier than she's ever been. That she's at home, with all the people who matter most to her in the world, here, and safe, all under one roof together. But there's just something about seeing the numbers on the clock turn over and knowing how quickly morning is approaching, how quickly the perfection of their night is shattered, that makes it impossible for her mind to quiet.

And then Emily sighs beside her, turning over in her sleep and wrapping an arm around JJ's middle, and she feels her body melt back into the bed.

"Y'okay?" Emily asks sleepily. "You're thinking so hard it woke me up."

"Sorry, baby," JJ replies, and she is. She knows better than most how hard good sleep can be to find, and she hates to be the cause of Emily missing out on any. "I can't sleep anyway so why don't I go downstairs so I don't disturb you any more?"

"No," Emily protests, "stay." She pulls her girlfriend closer to her and spoons up against her back, pressing a lazy kiss to JJ's neck before she feels the other woman's fingers entwine with hers where they rest on her stomach. "Wanna tell me what you're thinking about?"

JJ pauses, then answers quietly, "You," and she's not lying. It's hard for JJ, sometimes, to reconcile what she knows about SSA Emily Prentiss, Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the FBI with the Emily she sees at home, the Emily currently wrapped around her in her bed, the Emily that's going to disappear in a matter of hours and only peek through in private, stolen moments until they're back together again that evening. SSA Prentiss is all sharp edges and hard angles, whereas Emily, _her_ _Emily_ , is just soft. She's light-colored sweaters with comfortable jeans, her hair pulled up in a ponytail with Michael resting on her hip. She's quiet laugher and gentle touches and whispered words of affection. She's _cuddly_ , and that, perhaps, is what JJ has the hardest time wrapping her head around.

She doesn't know why it surprises her, really. Emily ( _SSA Prentiss_ , she corrects herself,) has always been physically demonstrative. Even back all those years ago when she was new to the team, Emily wouldn't hesitate to run a hand down her arm or quickly brush across the small of her back. She'd never shied away from contact with her friends.

But outside of work, when it's just the two of them or they're with the boys, it's like Emily takes it up to a whole new level. She's always reaching out to make contact in some way, a hand on JJ's thigh while they're riding in the car, or a quick brush down her arm when she passes her a dish at dinner. She'll pull Henry right onto the couch with her and snuggle under a blanket while a Disney movie plays. Michael, who'd been going through a particularly fussy phase anyway, responded especially well to Emily lately, requesting bedtime stories only from her. JJ will forever treasure the grainy cell phone picture she'd snuck a week prior of her girlfriend and her baby, both asleep in the rocking chair in his room, a tattered copy of Michael's favorite _Llama Lllama_ book fallen to the side, his light blonde head a stark contrast to her dark hair where he lay on her shoulder, face nuzzled against her neck.

But it's the way Emily's arms were wrapped around him that really hit JJ. She knows how safe he feels with Emily there to protect him, how much he must trust her to fall asleep like that. She knows how proud Henry feels when Emily wraps him in a hug and tells him what a great job he did during his baseball game and how his hustle in the outfield helped his team do so well, making him forget he struck out every time he was up at bat. She knows how content she feels when she's at the stove getting dinner ready, and Emily's arms snake around her and her hands rest low on her belly, while Emily whispers in her ear how good the food smells, and how nice it is to be there with her, and how she's the most beautiful woman in the world. It's so domestic, and so perfect, and, wrapped in her arms like that, JJ _believes_ her.

"Should I be worried?" Emily asks hesitantly a moment later, and JJ almost jumps at the sudden voice bringing her out of her thoughts.

"I don't want you to leave," she responds, turning in Emily's arms so they're face to face, legs intertwined as JJ reaches a hand up to rest on Emily's cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere," Emily speaks, suddenly sounding more awake.

"I don't want you to leave in the morning. I don't want you to miss breakfast because you have to go back to your place to get ready for the day. I don't want to have that conversation this afternoon where we make a plan for the evening and pretend like we don't know you're going to end up back here to have dinner with us and help Henry with his homework before we get the boys down and you stay the night in my bed until we repeat exactly the same thing tomorrow."

"Jay…"

"I want to fall asleep next to you every night, Emily, and wake up next to you every morning. I want that to be a given. I don't want to lay awake in your arms counting down the hours and minutes until you have to leave and I have to be without you, without _my Emily_. Even if I know it's only going to be a couple hours, I don't want you to leave. We don't…our time together is so precious, and I don't want to waste it. Move in with me, Emily. Please. You're a part of this family now, and we should live like it."

"Okay."

JJ blinks, her further arguments freezing on her lips. "Really?"

Emily nods. "I would love nothing more."

"Yeah?"

"Duh," Emily grins, wrapping her arms even tighter around JJ's body and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Now go back to sleep, we can get at least another hour."

And as JJ relaxes into Emily's embrace and feels the other woman's fingers begin to draw gentle patterns up and down on the small of her back, she closes her eyes and does just that.


	4. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and sharing your feedback! Here's Chapter 4: D is for Date.

"Henry!" JJ called from upstairs, pulling on her third shirt of the evening. "Can you double-check out the window that it's Emily at the door and, if it is, let her in?"

"Yeah, Mom, I got it!" Henry yelled back.

JJ paused and listened, the part of her that can't forget all of the terrible things she sees at work on edge until she heard Emily's "Hey, guys!" followed by excited squeals from both boys and Henry's exclamations about some superhero movie he'd been wanting to see. Shaking her head in the mirror, JJ pulled off the shirt, moving to her closet to begin her search for a fourth.

"Hey!" Emily's voice said again a moment later, louder this time, as she poked her head in JJ's bedroom door. "Henry said you've been up here 'getting beautiful _forever_ ' and I figured I should check up on you since you're already the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

JJ rolled her eyes but returned Emily's cheeky smile with a shy one of her own. Settling on a casual v-neck t-shirt upon seeing Emily dressed down in an FBI-issue sweatshirt herself, she moved to greet the other woman in the doorway, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "I am so, so, sorry," she began. "I promise I will make this up to you."

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, confused.

"Tonight! It's date night! And my sitter cancelled last-minute and I couldn't find anybody else and – "

"Woah," Emily broke in. "Slow down. You don't have anything to apologize for."

"But it's my fault we had to cancel date night."

"It's still date night, Jay," Emily explained, trying to convey that she wasn't upset. "We're just doing it at your house with the boys instead." She shrugged, smiling. "It'll be fun!"

"Emily, you don't have to pretend like you're excited. I know you like – "

"Pizza, and ice cream sundaes, and you, and Henry, and Michael," Emily interrupted. "I will admit I'm not wild about superhero movies, but the boys seemed really excited about the one I red-boxed on the way over here. I got two kinds of ice cream, plus hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, _and_ sprinkles, and there's hot pizza on the kitchen counter. Two of my three favorite people are waiting downstairs, so all I need is you and I'm good to go. I promise. Okay?"

JJ smiled, trying to shake off the last of her doubt at seeing the sincerity in Emily's eyes. "Okay."

Emily paused, moving to stand in front of her girlfriend and bending down slightly to catch JJ's downcast eyes. "I love you."

JJ smiled a little wider, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that had been plaguing her lately, making her feel like she wasn't enough. "I love you, too."

* * *

Two hours later found the pizza long gone, the boys sitting in front of the television while their movie played, and empty ice cream bowls forgotten on the coffee table behind them.

"Thank you so much for tonight," JJ whispered as she sat next to Emily on the couch, paying just enough attention to the movie to respond to the boys' commentary. "I wouldn't have blamed you one bit if you decided to just stay home, or go out on your own, or whatever, but this was really nice. I never expected you to be so accommodating to my kids."

"I know you didn't," Emily replied, just as quiet. "But I wanted to. They're good kids, Jay, and I like spending time with them. I love time with just you, don't get me wrong, but I think it's good for us all to spend time together, too. Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

"You'd want to?" JJ asked, surprised.

"Why is that so shocking to you? I thought…" she faltered, suddenly doubting her read on the situation. "I guess I thought we were moving toward me maybe playing a bigger role in your life, in all your lives? Maybe staying over sometimes not just when the boys are at Will's, maybe eventually moving in together? I'm sorry if I'm pushing you, if this is too fast, I just thought that maybe now that the boys know about us – "

"No!" JJ broke in. "That's not what I'm saying! It's not too fast, Em, I want all those things too, I promise."

"Is it the boys? Is this too fast for them? I thought it went well when we all went to the zoo together and… Should I not have tried to include them tonight?"

"Emily, no. The boys love you. They're totally okay with everything, with us. You're perfect."

Emily scoffed. "Hardly."

"You are. You're perfect for me, for _us_. That's the problem! I just – you're _Emily Prentiss_. You deserve to be wined and dined. You need somebody who can give you so much more than I can. Somebody who takes you to five-star restaurants, swanky nightclubs, and, I don't know, symphony concerts or something."

"So _that's_ what this is about."

"It's Friday night, and you're at my house, wearing sweats and eating ice cream while we watch my kids watch a movie _neither_ of us has any interest in. This isn't the life for you."

"Oh, Jay," Emily sighed, grabbing the other woman's hand in her own. "I wish I could make you understand how I really feel."

JJ took a deep breath. "I know you love me Emily, you've never given me any reason to question that. Sometimes I just…I can't help but wonder _why_."

Emily shook her head, holding both of JJ's hands now, waiting for the other woman to continue.

"I mean, you were raised in such a prestigious family, all over the world. You've lived in places I can only ever imagine. You're used to glamour and status and everything I'm not, and I'm sorry I can only ever be an imposter in your world."

"JJ, no."

JJ sighed, willing herself not to cry. "I know I'm being stupid, and childish, and I'm sorry. I am. I just can't stop thinking about…" she lowered her voice a little further, glancing quickly at the boys to make sure they were still engrossed in the movie. "You lost your virginity to some guy named Arturo after he bought you gelato and gave you a coin to throw into the Trevi Fountain. I know that was a long time ago and you were just a kid, but how do you not compare everything else that's ever happened in your life? How can Jennifer Jareau from middle-of-nowhere, Pennsylvania compete with that?"

"Because _you're_ Jennifer Jareau from middle-of-nowhere, Pennsylvania." Emily took a deep breath, waiting for JJ to make eye contact before continuing. "Arturo and I did it in the backseat of his car because we were horny teenagers and I didn't know how to tell him no. It lasted all of two minutes, and it hurt. Afterward, I felt guilty and ashamed, and I walked home by myself because he was meeting his friends at some club and I didn't want to go. He may have been my first, but I never, not even once, wished for him to be my last.

"I'm not upset that you feel insecure sometimes, JJ, we all do. I get it. But I need you to hear me when I tell you that I'm here because I want to be, and I know exactly what I'm getting in to. We were friends for years, remember? I know all about your past, and I know you're a package deal. And besides, this was the best date I've been on in a while. I love eating pizza in my sweats, and hanging at your house, and just _being_ with you. I love your boys. I love _you_ , Jennifer Jareau from middle-of-nowhere, Pennsylvania. You are exactly what I need." She paused, smiling softly. "Get used to it."

JJ couldn't help but return the smile. "I'll try."


	5. Everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E is for Everyone.

"So…" Emily trailed off, glancing over to JJ in the passenger's seat, her face lit only by the streetlights in the back parking lot outside O'Keefe's. "Are we really doing this?"

JJ nodded. "I'm ready when you are. I mean, especially since Walker knows now, it only seems fair we tell everyone else."

"Stephen's not going to say anything if that's what you're worried about. We should tell the team because they're our friends and they care about us and we want them to know how happy we are, not just because we got caught making out in my office after hours last week."

JJ rolled her eyes. "I know that, and that's not why. The kids know, Will knows, it feels like it's time. Besides, I'm getting tired of sneaking around. If I want to kiss my hot girlfriend while we're out at a bar with our friends, I'm going to do that."

"Then we'll do it tonight," Emily smiled shyly, grasping JJ's hand over the center console. "How do we want to play this?"

"I don't know. I mean, we'll just tell them?"

"Hey everyone, guess what? JJ and I have been banging behind your backs for the past six months? Does that work?"

"That's what this is to you?" JJ teased, pulling her hand out of Emily's to slap gently at the other woman's arm. "Banging?"

"God, no!" Emily insisted, leaning over and kissing JJ through her smile. "I mean, the banging is great, but it's so, so much more."

"Good answer," JJ whispered, deepening the kiss before pulling away. "Seriously though, I don't think we need a grand announcement. Let's just be ourselves. They'll figure it out."

"They are profilers," Emily agreed. "Actually, I'm kind of surprised no one's put two and two together yet. Garcia especially."

"Well…"

"What?"

"I kind of maybe told Penelope about us."

"JJ! I thought we agreed we weren't going to tell anyone until we were all together!"

"I know, I know, it just…that night, when I kissed you? I was kind of freaking out after and I had to talk to somebody and I wasn't ready to tell my mom yet and I obviously couldn't talk to you, so she just seemed like the best choice. I swore her to secrecy though!"

"And she kept that secret for six months?" Emily laughed. "I'm impressed."

"Well…"

"Seriously?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "She tried really, really hard."

"Who'd she tell?"

"Tara. That girls' night a couple months ago? The one you missed because you had plans to go out with Morgan? We had a few glasses of wine, and then she just kind of…let it slip. Don't be mad, okay?"

"I'm not," Emily promised. "I, uh, might have told Morgan myself that same night."

"Oh, really?" JJ smirked. "How'd that go?"

"Well, it started with him giving me a high five and ended with me smacking him upside the head. I'm sure you don't want to know what was said in the middle. He's happy for us, though."

"They're all going to be."

"I know. Or they will be eventually, you know, once they've had time to adjust." JJ looked at her quizzically. "Spencer? I've heard all about this crush he had on you back before I joined the team, and I'm not certain it's completely gone."

"Spence'll be fine," JJ insisted. "He, um…he's actually already had some time to adjust."

"Geez, Jay, really?"

"This one wasn't my fault! Henry spilled the beans when they went to that movie a couple weeks ago. Spence asked me about it when he dropped him back off at home."

"And he's…okay with everything?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's Spence. A little awkward, of course. And I learned some statistics about relationships between two women that I could have done without, but he's happy for us too."

"Huh," Emily responded. "So that just leaves Alvez and Rossi. I guess our big reveal won't be nearly as big as expected. Or do they know too?" she joked.

JJ hung her head. "Luke does," she whispered. "He overheard some of those aforementioned statistics when we were getting off the elevator."

"Alright then," Emily sighed, shaking her head. "This is going to be so anti-climactic."

"Sorry, baby," JJ smiled, leaning across the front seat and pressing a quick kiss to Emily's cheek.

"You're lucky I love you."

"I am."

Emily shook her head. "I'm the lucky one," she spoke, suddenly serious. The two women held eye contact for a moment before Emily's face broke into a grin, the teasing in her voice returning. "What do you say though? Should we get in there and tell Dave we're banging?" She felt her heart flutter as JJ's laughter filled the car.

"Let's do it!"

And as the entered the bar, hand in hand, Rossi was the first to spot them and wave them over to where the team had gathered at a back table. "Well, it's about time!" he spoke, standing to greet them each with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy for you both!"

* * *

"So you knew?" Emily questioned two hours later, the team now dispersed around the bar.

"I'm a founding member of the BAU, Emily. Have a little faith in my abilities!"

"I thought we were doing such a good job of hiding it," she shook her head. "When did you know?"

"Emily, the first day I rejoined this team almost ten years ago I asked Hotch how long you two had been dancing around each other. Which reminds me, I need to give him a call and collect on a bet."

Emily chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"You laugh, but I've got good money on this thing! He tried to collect the night JJ married Will but I wouldn't let him." He winked. "I was playing the long game."

"Wow," Emily said sarcastically, even as her smile shone through her faked annoyance, "you really are good at your job. Your Unit Chief should get you a raise."

Rossi laughed, taking a sip from his glass before regarding Emily again, seriously. "Now, I want you to know that I'm going to be having this same talk with Jennifer later, but I feel it my duty to ask: Are you happy? Is she good to you?"

Emily's smile turned into a grin as she felt a slight blush rise on her cheeks. "I can't even put it into words. She's…magnificent. Absolute perfection. I have never felt this way about anyone before, and I know I never will again." Emily broke eye contact to look behind Rossi, her smile growing impossibly wider as she spotted JJ standing near the dartboard, trying to coach Reid through a game against Alvez. "She's it, Dave," she spoke again, softly. "I'm gonna marry that woman someday."

Rossi turned his head to follow Emily's gaze before turning back to the table and raising his glass. "To you and JJ," he spoke, clinking their glasses together. "May you always get that same dopey grin on your face when you spot her across the room."

Emily blushed, raising her glass to her lips. "I'll drink to that."


	6. Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F is for Feelings

"Sleep tight, buddy. I love you," JJ whispered, pulling Henry's door shut and turning off the hallway light before making her way down the stairs. "Alright," she said quietly. "Both boys are down. What do you want to – " JJ stopped short, feeling her stomach drop as she rounded the corner and saw Will perched on the edge of the couch, clearly nervous. "What's wrong?"

"Come sit, JJ," Will answered, motioning to the love seat adjacent to him. "I need to talk to you about something."

JJ moved to the loveseat on autopilot, a million different scenarios running through her head. "What is it? Are you okay? Did something – I heard the phone ring, did somebody – oh god, are my parents – "

"Everybody's fine, chère," Will cut her off gently. "I'm okay, your parents are okay, it was just a telemarketer on the phone."

JJ visibly relaxed, taking a deep breath in an effort to slow her heart rate. "Okay. That's good. What's going on then?"

"I just…" Will trailed off, taking a deep breath of his own. "I wanted to talk to you about something I've noticed lately, some things that I think maybe are changing between us, and our, uh, relationship – "

"Oh my god," JJ spoke suddenly, standing and pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache coming on. "You're having an affair! Will, I know I work a lot of hours – "

"No, JJ – "

"- but with Hotch gone and Emily just on loan and all of the escaped prisoners on top of the typical case load - we've talked about this! And I've been making a huge effort – "

"JJ, hang on, that's not – "

"I'm trying to be more present when we're together and pull my weight – "

"Please, just let me explain what I - "

"Oh my god, is it a sex thing? I know we haven't been as active since Michael was born, but, come on, Will, you really can't – "

"Jennifer! Please hear me out."

JJ stopped suddenly, turning to look at Will again, surprised to see not regret or defiance, even, but continued nerves. Forcing her body to slow down and sit back on the loveseat, she took a moment to compose herself before turning to Will again. "You're not cheating on me?" she asked quietly.

"God, JJ, no," Will answered, honesty shining in his eyes. "I guess I just wanted to ask you if…maybe you might have feelings for somebody else?"

"What?!" JJ spat, anger rising in her again. "How could you possibly think – "

Will leaned forward, grabbing her hands in his. "I'm not accusing you of anything, JJ. We're just having a conversation. I love you, and I know you love me, and I know you would never intentionally hurt me, okay? But I just have to ask…"

"What, Will? Just say it."

Will took a deep breath, reaching one hand up to gently cradle the side of JJ's face. "Is there something going on between you and Emily? Are you in love with her or something?"

JJ's head snapped up, eyes wide. She opened her mouth, ready to deny, to laugh at the absurdity of the idea, to say something – anything – but no words came out. She sat frozen, completely still, mouth agape when suddenly she felt tears spring to her eyes. And before she knew it, she was wrapped tightly in Will's arms, hearing him whisper soothing words into her ear.

"It's going to be okay, JJ," he whispered. "I just want you to be happy. The boys, too. That's what's important to us, we'll figure it all out together, I promise. Okay? It's going to be okay."

And as the night wore on and they sat up together, well past when they should have been in bed, JJ couldn't help but believe him. In some ways, she even felt lucky. Although everything since she'd tucked Henry in had been completely uncharted territory for her, she was pretty sure there weren't too many people out there with husbands who would put on a pot of coffee in order to stay awake and help their wives figure out when exactly they fell in love with another woman.

"So what about that agent who was with you before her? Greenway? Was that her name?"

"Greenaway, yeah." JJ nodded. "I mean, I wasn't in the field nearly as much back then, so it's not like we spent that much time together. Plus she was kind of…harsh."

Will chuckled. "Some would say Emily's kind of harsh, too."

"She's not – " JJ cut herself off, not even fully understanding herself her intense need to defend her friend, but knowing that maybe she should keep those thoughts to herself and not share them with her husband until she had a better handle. "I just spent so much more time with Emily, and she was there for so much longer, so, I don't know, we're friends."

"You and Spencer are friends."

"Yeah, but, I don't know. We were the only two women in the field for years. It's such a male-dominated world, we have a special bond."

"But you don't with Greenway."

"Greenaway," she corrected again. "And no. And not with Blake either, I guess. Kate and I are friends though."

Will shrugged. " _We're_ friends, I like hanging out with Kate and Chris, too, and you know the kids all get along."

"You and the boys like Emily!" JJ defended, as if somehow this proved her relationships with Emily and Kate were equivalent.

"We like all of your team, JJ," Will nods. "It's not the same."

"How is it not the same?"

Will sighed. "When Kate calls, if I answer your phone, we'll talk for a few minutes and then I'll hand you the phone and you'll talk for a few minutes, and then you and I will talk together about what we just talked to Kate about. When Emily calls, I don't even bother picking it up because I did that one time years ago when you had Henry in the bath and you both got real squirrely about it. And then…" he trailed off.

"And then?"

"That's when I started to get the idea that maybe there were feelings other than just friendship involved."

JJ took another deep breath, trying to calm the frustration she felt building inside her again. "You said that was _years ago_! You think I've been cheating on you for years? God, Will, we've…and…you let us try for another baby while you thought I was having an affair?!"

"I didn't think you were having…" Will shook his head, taking a deep breath before beginning again, more calmly. "It's not that I thought you were sleeping with her or anything, JJ, I know you better than that. Just more of an emotional thing, you know? And since she came back for that case a couple months ago, and you guys have been talking more again, it just feels like you have a connection similar to what we had. But I wouldn't have traded these last years for anything, chère."

JJ looked up, tears staining her cheeks. "You said had."

"I…what?"

"Had. The connection we _had_. Not _have_."

"Oh. Right. I, uh…"

JJ felt her heartbeat increasing, could feel the blood pounding in her ears. "Are you…is this…are you leaving me?"

Will shook his head, reaching his hands out to grasp JJ's in his own. "I don't think we need to make any decisions tonight, alright? I'm just saying that we both deserve the chance to be happy. And if…if Emily is what makes you happy, I don't want to stand in the way of that."

JJ's voice was barely a whisper. "But what about you?"

"You have given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for in our boys, and in these years we've had together. I love you, and I always will. But I can't ignore this anymore, JJ, I can't live my life feeling like I'm playing second fiddle, like it could all fall apart any second when Emily finally works up the gumption to tell you how she feels." JJ scoffs and Will smiles, running his thumbs gently under her eyes to wipe away her tears. "I've seen the way she looks at you. She's too good of a person to do anything about it while you're with me, but those feelings are there, don't you worry about that."

" _You're_ too good of a person," JJ whispered in response, leaning in to lay her head on Will's chest, her exhausted body and mind craving the familiarity, the comfort. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

Will wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing the top of her head. "You're a catch, Jennifer Jareau. I'm lucky I got to have you for a while, and even if it's time for me to share the luck…it's all gonna be okay. I promise you that."


	7. Gentle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the change in rating. This chapter is rated M. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
> 
> G is for Gentle.

"Jay…" Emily warned, grabbing her girlfriend's wrist where it had crept under her shirt.

JJ mustered up the most innocent voice she could manage, even as she pulled her hand out of Emily's grasp and continued the journey up to rest against the other woman's breast. "Yes?"

"You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I am!" JJ responded. "I've just seen this movie before and you're sitting there looking so worried and I want to show you that I'm fine!" Emily just looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you want this?"

"You know we shouldn't," Emily responded, her voice cracking slightly as JJ's fingers found her nipple.

JJ smirked, knowing she had won. "Says who? We haven't been case-free and kid-free on a weekend in so long. Don't you think we should take advantage?"

"You have a concussion!" Emily argued, even as her body shifted of its own accord, pushing her chest into JJ's palm.

"I had a concussion," JJ stressed. "Thirty-six hours ago. It's basically just a bruise and a slight headache now." She paused, planting one knee on the couch cushion as she swung her body around to straddle Emily's lap. "And you know what they say is good for headaches?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave.

"Advil and rest?"

JJ fought the urge to roll her eyes, instead leaning in closer and ghosting her lips up Emily's neck before panting out a warm breath against her ear. "Orgasms," she whispered, feeling Emily's nipple harden even more against her hand.

"JJ," Emily began, gasping as she felt JJ's other hand play across the muscles of her stomach before palming her other breast. "It's not that I don't want to. Believe me, I do. It's just…don't you think we should give you another day or two to heal? I mean, you were pretty banged up. When I saw you lying there, I thought…" she trailed off, squeezing JJ's hand.

"I'm not asking you to bend me over the desk or fuck me up against the wall or anything like that," JJ smirked, hearing Emily's quiet gasp. "Just some gentle love-making on the couch is all."

"But if your headache gets worse – "

"It won't."

"Or if I hurt you in any way – "

"You won't."

Emily sighed, reaching her own hands up to cup either side of JJ's face. "I'm powerless to resist you," she whispered in return.

"I know. Now kiss me."

Emily's hands moved slowly down JJ's body, settling on her hips as their lips met in a slow, languid kiss. "I love you," Emily spoke quietly. "And I am so, so glad you're okay."

"I really am," JJ promised, her own hands moving to play with the fine hair at the back of Emily's neck. "It's gonna take a lot more than some psycho with a metal pipe to take me away from you."

"Good," Emily nodded, moving her lips to kiss down JJ's jaw and throat, her hands sliding into the other woman's back pockets even despite the somber mood that had settled over her. "Is this okay?" she asked a moment later.

"Emily," JJ groaned, tilting her head to the side to expose more of her neck. "I'm not gonna break. I want you – need you - to touch me."

"I am."

JJ scoffed. "Barely."

"Is this better?" Emily asked, one hand sliding up the curve of JJ's backside, sliding under her shirt.

JJ grabbed at Emily's other hand and took it in her own, pushing it down the front of her pants and into her underwear. "This is."

"Jesus, Jay," Emily gasped, fingers sliding through the wetness she found. "You could've told me you were this ready."

JJ grinned, her hips jutting forward in an attempt to increase the contact with Emily's fingers. "What do you think I've been…" she trailed off, moaning quietly as Emily slipped two fingers inside, "…doing?"

"Sorry, babe," Emily smiled sheepishly. "I just want to make sure you're okay and – "

"I know," JJ interrupted. "And I am, I swear. Please, Em."

Emily began to move, gently thrusting her fingers as much as the cramped space inside JJ's pants would allow. "Lay back, baby," she whispered, her other hand remaining on JJ's back to guide the other woman to lie on the couch. Hovering over her, Emily placed a gentle kiss against JJ's lips, feeling her gasp as she withdrew her fingers.

"Emily," JJ whined, hips jumping again, seeking out any additional stimulation.

"I've got you," Emily whispered, moving down JJ's body and hooking her fingers into the waistband of her pants, pulling her underwear down with them. She paused, staring in awe at the woman below her.

"Em?"

"You're beautiful." Emily placed a gentle kiss against the bruise on JJ's forehead before adjusting her body further down the couch and settling between the younger woman's legs. "Is this okay?"

JJ nodded, spreading her legs wider as Emily placed a row of kisses up one thigh and down the other. "God, Em," JJ groaned when Emily's mouth finally landed at the apex of her thighs, sucking the flesh into her mouth. "You're incredible."

Emily moaned in response, and JJ felt the vibrations throughout her whole body. She resumed placing gentle kisses against JJ's center, poking her tongue out to lick slowly. This wasn't just about making JJ feel good, but about showing her how much she was loved, cared for, how much Emily couldn't possibly imagine her life without JJ in it. "I love you," she whispered, sliding her hands under JJ and raising her up to meet her mouth. "I love you," she spoke again as JJ's back arched. "I love you," she said, sliding two fingers back inside.

"C'mere," JJ said in response, reaching her hands down to run across Emily's hair and shoulders, urging her up until they were face to face again. "I wanna touch you too."

Emily's eyes fell closed as she hovered over the other woman, feeling JJ's lips on her neck, her hands pushing her pants over her hips, her fingers gliding through the wetness between her legs. It wasn't every time that they made slow, gentle love together like this, so close, so intimate, but after the events of the last thirty-six hours, they both knew how bad Emily needed to feel this connection, to have the proof of JJ's safely beating heart right there under her own. "I love you," she spoke again, as JJ entered both her body and her soul. "I need you. I need you forever."

"I'm okay," JJ promised again. "I won't leave you."

"I can't do this without you," Emily spoke, hating the neediness in her voice even as her breath hitched, the feeling of JJ moving below her and inside her the reminder she needed that everything was okay.

"You don't have to."

Emily took a deep breath. She'd had a plan, but then the case happened, and JJ had taken that hit, and she needed to do this now. Right now. "Jennifer…"

"I'm here."

"Marry me."


	8. Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay on this chapter! I had one ninety-five percent written a week ago, but I just couldn't find the motivation to finish it because I wasn't happy with it at all. So I scrapped it and started fresh, and here's an entirely different story based on the same prompt. I'm much happier with it, so I hope you all will be too!
> 
> Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I am honored to have received so many thoughtful comments.
> 
> Here's Chapter 8: H is for Hands.

The first time she takes JJ's hand, Emily doesn't think twice. Garcia's just been shot, and JJ is sitting there looking like she has the weight of the entire world on her shoulders. Reid is pacing and Morgan's missing, and Hotch and Rossi are being, well, Hotch and Rossi, and Emily knows she's the only one in any position to be even close to what JJ needs in that moment. So she sits next to her, gently touches her wrist, and when JJ's hand turns and grasps her own, she ignores the butterflies she feels in her chest and stomach, pushes down the urge to take her other hand and brush the hair off of JJ's face, drowns out the voice in her head reminding her that this is not a good idea, that she should keep a respectable distance, that this is her colleague whose best friend has just been shot.

Even so, she does let her thumb trace gentle circles against JJ's knuckles as their hands continue to rest together.

They sit quietly for a while, with no need for words between them, and then the surgeon appears and announces that Garcia will be okay. Emily is glad, so glad, but then she feels a sudden emptiness when JJ lets go of her hand, rushing to give Reid a hug, to tell Hotch she'll be the one to stay, to ask the doctor when she can see Penelope.

Emily mumbles a goodnight and follows Rossi out the door on her way to spend what she's sure will be a sleepless night alone at home.

* * *

The next time she takes JJ's hand they are, ironically enough, back in a hospital. JJ's the patient this time, having just been admitted to a labor and delivery room, and somehow Emily ends up sitting in the chair beside her bed. Hotch had politely excused himself to the waiting room as JJ got settled and Garcia was flitting about making phone calls, checking in with Will to see when he'd arrive, letting JJ's parents know, notifying the rest of the team still in Vegas that they might want to hurry back.

Unlike the first time, Emily thinks before acting. It's like she's suddenly hyper aware of every move her body is making and she can't push down that voice, instead buying in to the reminders that she doesn't belong here, this isn't her family, she can't be what JJ needs right now. But then she hears a groan and sees a wince, and before Emily even knows what is happening she's reaching out and JJ's hand is clutching hers, squeezing tightly as she waits for the contraction to pass.

"Don't leave me, Em," she grits out, and Emily hates the part of herself that allows a spark to ignite deep in her bones. "I don't want to be alone. Please stay until Will gets here."

Oh. Right.

And even as that spark fizzles out as quickly as it appears, Emily stays at her bedside, one hand in JJ's and the other periodically sweeping the hair away from JJ's sweaty forehead. She stays through Garcia's multiple comings and goings, blowing into the room a colorful burst of excitement unable to sit still for more than a few minutes before remembering another call she has to make or the most adorable teddy bear she saw in the gift shop that she just has to go buy. She stays through the nurses' visits, attempting to excuse herself when they check JJ's progress only to immediately flop back down in the chair when JJ lets out a terrified whine and squeezes her hand that much harder. She stays until, an hour or so later, Will rushes in the door all mumbled apologies and takes JJ's other hand, prompting JJ to immediately release Emily's and wrap that arm tightly around her baby's father.

She had thought she had herself under control, her emotions all packed up into a neat and tidy little box, but Emily feels her heart break that much more as she watches their hug, watches them transform from two people into a _family_. Moving quietly to the door, she looks back when she hears Will's voice call out to her. "Agent Prentiss," he says. "Thank you. Y'know, for being here when I couldn't."

Emily forces a smile and nods once, then looks straight into JJ's eyes. "You're gonna do great, Jayje. We're all so proud of you."

* * *

The third time, it's JJ who reaches out to take Emily's hand. She's been married all of three hours and Emily can't help but watch her on the dance floor with her new husband, the look of pure contentment she sees on JJ's face making her involvement in this whole impromptu wedding feel worth it. When JJ looks up and they briefly make eye contact she looks away, knowing it's not the first time that night she's been caught staring, and she doesn't see JJ press a quick kiss to Will's cheek before excusing herself and making her way over to where Emily is lingering near the gift table.

"You're being weird," JJ speaks, Emily jumping slightly as the other woman makes her presence known.

"Congratulations," she forces a smile, hoping with everything she has it looks authentic, before slightly raising the glass she holds in her hand. "You look beautiful tonight, JJ."

Emily swears she sees a slight blush rise on JJ's cheeks before she speaks again. "You're definitely being weird. What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing," Emily dismisses. "Seriously, don't worry about it. It's your night."

JJ grins. "Exactly. It's my night, and you're my friend, so you have to tell me why you're being weird. Is it – I mean, are you…" she pauses, suddenly unsure of herself. "Do you not approve of this marriage?"

"No, JJ," Emily rushes. "God, no. As long as you're happy, I'm happy," and that part, at least, is the truth.

"Then what is it?"

Emily averts her eyes, chewing unconsciously on her lower lip. She's searching for the courage to speak, to say this all out loud and make it real. She finds it when JJ reaches forward, grabbing her hand. "I'm taking a job with Interpol."

She hears JJ suck in a deep breath, and only then returns her gaze to her. The look in JJ's eyes makes Emily wonder if she could call Clyde right back and tell him she changed her mind. When JJ laces her fingers through Emily's, she almost does.

"Where?" JJ speaks a moment later, her voice barely a whisper.

"London."

"Oh, Em," she sighs, her hand squeezing tighter against Emily's. "It won't be the same without you, but," she laughs quietly, even as her other hand reaches up to brush away the couple of tears forming in her eyes, "as long as you're happy, I'm happy."

And Emily laughs too, because she knows if she doesn't she might cry. She laughs, and she squeezes JJ's hand, and this time she's the one who lets go. "Go," she shoos. "Be with Will, spend time with your family. We'll talk more another time."

JJ gives her a sad smile but heads back over to where Will is now dancing with her mother. Emily says a silent goodbye before slipping away herself.

* * *

Some twelve years have passed since that first time she took JJ's hand, and Emily doesn't keep count anymore but they're back in that same hospital, a mirror imaged hallway in an opposite wing two floors up, but it brings Emily right back just the same. JJ still sits there, older and wiser but as beautiful as ever, and this time it's Will who's pacing and Michael who's not there, though she knows he's safely at home with Garcia, probably hyped up on leftover Christmas cookies and working on at least his second mug of hot chocolate. Henry had been sledding at the park with some friends when he'd veered off course, one of the trees that lined the side of the hill eventually breaking his momentum. He hadn't hit his head, thankfully, but the unnatural angle of his leg and the bone sticking out through the tear in his snow pants made it pretty clear that surgery would be in order.

"He's gonna be fine, Jay," Emily whispers, sitting next to her and gently touching her wrist, just as she had all those years before. "He's gonna be just fine."

"I know," JJ whispers, her hand turning and grasping Emily's. Henry was conscious and talking and in a lot of pain for sure, but ultimately okay. But he is JJ's baby, and Emily knows her wife is nothing if not fiercely protective of her family.

They both stand together when the doctor comes out, and still JJ hangs on to her hand. Henry _is_ going to be fine, and she can feel JJ's body relax beside her, can feel the tension in her hand dissipate immediately and the circles she draws against JJ's knuckles come naturally now. She hears the doctor say that Henry will be waking up soon, that they can go back and see him, and she feels JJ tug at her hand as she takes a step forward.

Emily blinks, her feet refusing to move, her grip on JJ's hand loosening even as JJ continues to hold on. "You guys go," she says, suddenly unsure of herself in a way she hasn't felt in years. "I can wait here, give you some time together."

JJ looks at her curiously, but she still holds on.

It's Will who speaks after a beat of silence. "Come on, Emily. He's gonna wake up soon, and he's gonna want you there, too."

She feels JJ's hand squeeze hers, a quick pulse against her palm, but she still doesn't let go. And then Emily meets JJ's eyes and smiles shyly, and her feet are moving again.


	9. Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading and reviewing! This chapter: I is for Impressions (as in, first impressions). Hope you enjoy!

"Ugh, what?" JJ groans sleepily, rolling over to grab her cell phone off the nightstand, silencing it before it can let out another offensive ding. She blinks the sleep out of her eyes before re-lighting her phone screen, noting it is just barely seven-thirty. Who would dare be making her phone buzz and beep (for non-work related purposes, of course) at seven-thirty on a Saturday morning, the first day she's had off in _weeks_?

"Garcia," she sighs aloud, answering her own unspoken question. What the other woman was doing up this early on _her_ first day off in weeks too, JJ has no idea, but knowing Garcia she supposes it quite possible she hasn't even gone to bed yet.

Stretching and rolling back toward the center of the bed, JJ clicks on the text message notification, blinking her still sleepy eyes as the brightness of a picture lights up the screen. It's JJ and Emily, sitting next to each other in a booth at a restaurant, maybe a bar, JJ doesn't immediately recognize the place. She's pretty sure it's Reid's arm and shoulder she can see at the edge of the picture, and Emily is looking in his direction, clearly mid-laugh. JJ, on the other hand, is looking at Emily, an expression of complete and total adoration clearly present on her face.

Scrolling down to the accompanying message, JJ can't help but smile as she takes in Garcia's typed _OMG you guys r BABIES!_ followed by several heart-eye emojis, and only then does she realize how old this picture actually is. Her own face is clearly much younger, smoother, devoid of the faint lines she's beginning to notice around her eyes and smile when she looks in the mirror, and there's a certain roundness to it she can only think to describe as baby fat (and it's her own, not the kind she carried for awhile after the birth of each of her sons).

Zooming in on Emily's face in the photograph, JJ takes in her shining eyes, the slight curl to her dark hair, the way she holds herself – so elegant, so regal, but at the same time practically screaming out a lack of confidence in herself, so clearly overcompensating for how unsure she feels. The picture had to have been taken shortly after Emily joined the team, some thirteen years ago if JJ's quick mental math is correct.

She feels her smile grow as she takes in the photo as a whole again. She had been positively infatuated with Emily from the get-go, somewhere deep down inside she's always known that, but seeing it so plainly written on her face in this picture more than a decade old, long before they'd gotten engaged or shared their first kiss, before Emily died and came back to life, before JJ got married, had kids, got divorced, it makes her feel like this, what they have now, was somehow written in the stars for them, always destined to be.

JJ hadn't seen it back then, she'll be the first to admit it. Her first impressions of Emily had been positive, of course, she was clearly smart, and funny, and beautiful and JJ knew almost immediately that she wanted to be friends. She thought Emily might be fun to get drinks with, have the occasional movie night with Garcia, be someone with whom she could talk about her dating life. She knew she'd be a great asset to the team. If she had stopped to think about it, she might have known that Emily was somebody who could make her laugh, somebody who would hold her while she cried, somebody she could trust with everything that mattered to her. What she didn't know, though, what she couldn't have foreseen all those years ago, what she wouldn't have believed even if Garcia had woken her up thirteen years ago with a text message containing photographic evidence from the _future_ , is that they share a home, a family, that she can only get a good night's sleep with Emily spooned up behind her with her hand resting on JJ's stomach.

In hindsight though, and JJ's literal wake-up call is proof, in hindsight it was _there_.

Typing back a quick _I've never seen this picture before. Thanks, Pen!_ , JJ clicks the screen of her phone off and places it back on her nightstand. She briefly contemplates closing her eyes and trying to get a bit more sleep before sitting up instead, pulling a hooded sweatshirt on over her pajamas and shuffling out of bed. She can hear some movement and quiet voices coming from downstairs, and another thing she'll readily admit she never once saw coming is that Emily insists on getting up with the boys on the Saturdays they're all home, giving JJ a chance to sleep in. On days when she isn't woken by a text message, JJ normally sleeps until around nine o'clock and makes her way downstairs to find the kitchen a mess but her three favorite people smiling around the table with some elaborate breakfast they'd all worked to make together, a plate made up for her and ready to be reheated in the microwave.

JJ can make out the music halfway down the stairs, and it takes her a moment to place the verse of _Crocodile Rock._ Peeking around the corner, she can hardly hold back a laugh at the sight. Michael is sitting on the counter in his fleece pajamas, kicking his legs, his entire body shaking and an enormous grin on his face as he dances along. Henry, who is starting to look and act like such a young man most days, is clearly a child again, moon-walking across the kitchen floor in his sock feet. He makes it to the counter, grabbing a whisk to use as a microphone as he belts out the refrain: "Laaaaaa lalalalala! Lalalalala! Lalalalala!"

The fridge door closes and suddenly Emily appears, a carton of blueberries in one hand as she grabs Henry's hand with her other, spinning him around as they both laugh. She makes it over to the counter, setting down the carton and ruffling Michael's bedhead, singing along the whole time.

JJ's not sure she's ever seen her so…free.

"So _this_ is what you do on Saturdays when I sleep in!" JJ speaks, announcing her presence.

All three freeze and JJ swears she sees a slight blush rise on both Emily's and Henry's cheeks before Michael hops down off the counter, running over and yelling "Mommy! Come dance!"

Grinning at his enthusiasm, she scoops him up and dances him around the room, focusing all her attention on her youngest knowing that Henry and Emily are still feeling a little self-conscious. The song ends and quiet, melodic piano notes take over and she can feel the energy in the room change.

"Hi, Mom," Henry waves, turning back to the counter and putting his former microphone to use to stir the pancake batter.

JJ sets Michael back on the counter, running her hand through Henry's hair in response to his greeting.

"Morning, Jay," Emily blushes again, meeting in the middle of the room to kiss her cheek.

"Elton John, really?"

Emily shrugs. "It's something we can all agree on?"

JJ laughs. "I knew I heard Henry singing _Candle in the Wind_ in the shower the other day and I thought I was losing my mind!"

Emily joins in her laughter, moving to stand behind JJ as her arms encircle her waist. She rests her chin against the younger woman's shoulder, both swaying unconsciously with the music as they watch the boys work together on the pancakes, Michael dumping in blueberries as Henry stirs. "How come you didn't sleep in today?" she whispers.

This time JJ shrugs. "I had to see what you guys get up to on your early mornings without me. And I am so, so glad I did." JJ can feel Emily smile against her neck, and her own smile grows impossibly wider as Emily joins in with the chorus of the song to sing softly into her ear:

"Hold me closer, tiny dancer. Count the headlights on the highway."

JJ's hands grab Emily's where they rest against her stomach, pulling them even tighter against herself.

"You okay?" Emily asks.

"More than," JJ answers, honestly. "You know, when I first met you, I would have never, ever, _ever_ imagined I'd wake up to find you in your pajamas, dancing and singing to Elton John in the kitchen with our kids."

Emily feels her heart skip a beat. "I'm full of surprises."

"That you are, Emily Prentiss. That you are."


	10. Joke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I apologize for my extended absence. Here's a short chapter to get me back in the swing, more to follow soon!
> 
> J is for Joke

"Italian leather!" Rossi scoffs, taking his seat on the jet. "Haven't even had them a full week, and now this."

"I am so sorry," Emily replies, her voice serious. "I will have them cleaned, or replaced, or whatever you need. And if it's any consolation, we were expecting it to be Alvez to walk through the door first."

Cracking a smile, Rossi shakes his head, making it clear he no longer holds any anger. "You know, I thought once you two resolved all of that sexual tension you'd be too busy making eyes at each other to gang up on the rest of us anymore."

"Hey, that's not fair," JJ interjects, taking her own seat as she slides a mug of coffee across the table to Emily. "We were perfectly busy making eyes at each other all those years, too. It's actually freed up some time now that we don't have to pretend we aren't."

"You know it," Emily agrees, laughing.

"So what's the winner, then?" Matt asks. "In your history of pulling pranks, what's the best you've done?"

"The paint?" JJ asks, looking to Emily to confirm.

"Oh, c'mon," Rossi breaks in again. "Poor kid's not even here to defend himself."

Tara closes her book, moving to a closer seat along the side of the jet. "Alright, I don't think I've heard this one."

"Me neither," Luke adds. "What'd you do to poor Reid?"

"Well it was, what, 2011?" Emily asks, and JJ and Rossi both nod in confirmation. "JJ and I had both just rejoined the team and Spencer and Derek Morgan had this prank war going already so we kind of invited ourselves in on it."

"And we started prepping like, a week in advance," JJ takes over the story. "I had only been a profiler for a short time and everybody was so used to me being the liaison they didn't question why I had information they didn't, right? So I started talking about how they were going to be repainting in the bullpen, and they were going to start with trim and doors, and to watch out for wet paint signs and all that. So one day Spence gets to work, and Emily and I were there early of course, and we'd hung a sign on the door by the elevators that said 'Wet Paint, Use Other Door.'"

"And of course he's a by-the-book kind of guy," Emily continues, "even more then than he is now, so he bypasses that door and goes to the side door down the hall near Garcia's office and, sure enough, same sign. But he peeks through the door and he sees us in there, so we're miming to him that he has to go down to the fifth floor and then come up the stairs to the emergency exit, which, of course, we placed a sign on as well."

"So a few minutes later we see him come back up the elevator and he's just pacing in the hallway trying to figure out what to do," JJ laughs quietly. "And then Morgan comes in, talking on his phone, totally doesn't even notice the sign and walks right into the bullpen. And Spence is so confused – "

"After he screams 'wet paint' at the top of his longs in an effort to stop Morgan."

"Right. And he's all calculating how long it would take paint to dry given the temperature and humidity level."

"But the best part is, once he realized it was all a joke, he blamed Morgan for the whole thing!"

The rest of the team laughs, Tara pausing to ask,"So when did he realize it was actually you guys behind it?"

JJ and Emily exchange glances, but it's Rossi who answers. "Nearly a decade later, and the kid still has no clue."

"I don't believe you," Luke responds, skeptical.

"Swear to God," JJ answers. "He still brings it up to Morgan on occasion, and his vehement denials just spur Spence on even more."

Emily narrows her eyes, making eye contact with each of the newer agents on her team. "If any of you say a word, I will know and there will be consequences."

"She's joking," JJ is quick to reassure, patting her hand gently on Emily's knee. "Right, babe?"

"We'll let them wonder about that."

"She's joking," JJ affirms.

"So I'm assuming Spencer retaliated at Morgan for this?" Matt asks a moment later.

Rossi smirks, taking a drink from his glass before responding. "Ah, but that's the best part. Before he even got the chance, these two over here got hold of Morgan's phone."

"Oh no," Tara shakes her head, smiling. "What did you do?"

"It was brilliant, really," Emily answers. "He got distracted by some girl when we were out for drinks one night and left his phone at the table. I managed to figure out his passcode, and we set it up to autocorrect to 'gorilla' every time he typed 'girl.'"

JJ can't hold back her laughter. "So of course, on the next case, Garcia's being really short with him and he's moping around trying to figure out why. Turns out, she doesn't take too kindly to being referred to as "Baby Gorilla" repeatedly via text message."

"And let me guess," Luke speaks, breaking the team out of their laugher. "Morgan blamed Reid for the whole thing?"

"Nearly a decade later and he still has no idea," Rossi repeats.

"Damn," Tara leans forward, reaching her mug forward to clink against first JJ's, then Emily's. "That's what I call a power couple."

"A power couple," Emily smirks, sitting up a bit straighter as she grabs JJ's hand in hers. "I think I could get used to that."


	11. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, K is for Kiss.

"You've reached the Goddess of all things knowable and unknowable. How may I direct your call?"

"Pen, it's JJ. I…do you have a minute?"

"For you?" Garcia responds. "At least two. What's up?"

"Are you still at work?" JJ questions, glancing at her watch. "It's almost two a.m. your time. We wrapped it up and called it a night out here hours ago, did nobody let you know?"

"Oh, no, sweetcheeks, I know," Garcia smiles. "Just got a few searches running for another case still and I was waiting to see them through. Plus I drank some more of that nitro-brew coffee after dinner, so…" she pauses. "Wait, is this not a work-related call?"

JJ stands, pacing back and forth along the foot of the bed. "No, not quite, it's uh…personal?"

"Oooh, well then, do tell, Ms. Jareau."

JJ rolls her eyes. "No, y'know, it's not a big deal. I just – "

"Spill."

JJ takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut. "IkissedEmily," she rushes out, her own eyes widening in surprise as the words came unbidden out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," Garcia replies a moment later. "You're gonna have to say that again more slowly, because it really sounded like you said you kissed Emily."

"Garcia," JJ warns.

"Wow. Okay, then. Wow." Garcia is silent for a moment. "Emily Prentiss?"

"Pen," JJ almost whines. "I just…I don't know what to do and I'm freaking out and I need you to talk me out of quitting my job and entering WITSEC and never seeing or talking to her ever again."

"Right, okay," Garcia snaps back. "So you kissed Emily, huh? Take a deep breath, start at the beginning. What happened?"

_JJ automatically turned down the volume on the television when she heard her phone chime alerting her to an incoming text message. Searching through the blankets around her where she lay in bed, she was surprised to see the message came from her Unit Chief, given they were officially off the clock. They had wrapped the case a few hours earlier and, too late to fly home, JJ had ordered room service for dinner and settled in to her hotel room bed while_ Dirty Dancing _played in the background._

' _You awake?' the message from Emily read, and JJ couldn't hold back a smile as she immediately responded 'Yeah, what's up?' She turned the volume on the tv back up a couple clicks as she waited for a reply, surprised when, instead, a soft knock sounded at her door a moment later._

" _What's wrong?" JJ asked, opening the door to reveal Emily standing in the hallway, clad in a tank top and sweatpants and looking incredibly young and vulnerable. "Are you okay?"_

_Emily nodded, biting her lip as she hovered in the doorway. "I'm here as your friend and not your boss, okay? So you can just tell me to leave you alone whenever."_

_JJ smiled gently, stepping further into the room and motioning for Emily to follow. "I would never. Come in. What's going on?"_

_Emily stood awkwardly, shaking her head to hide her own soft smile after JJ threw herself onto the bed, patting the space next to her._

" _Sit," JJ spoke again. "Talk to me. I'm worried about you."_

"Is everything okay?" Garcia interrupts. "That doesn't sound like Emily."

"She couldn't sleep," JJ shrugs, despite knowing Garcia couldn't see her. "It was a rough case, you know? And she's just still adjusting to being back."

" _I just…I don't know, JJ. I can't believe I'm even telling you all this. I'm sorry."_

" _Emily, please," JJ sighed. "Stop apologizing. I don't care that you're technically my boss now, okay? We were friends first. You quite literally saved my life once, and you're one of a select few people I trust completely. It means a lot to me that you're trusting me enough to have this conversation. Okay? Keep talking to me."_

_Emily was quiet a minute, just long enough to make JJ think her walls had gone back up and the conversation was over, when she spoke again. "Do you think I made a mistake, coming back here?"_

" _I…I'm glad you're back. The team is not the same without you and I-_ we _missed you. I think when Hotch left, things could have gone a couple of different ways for the team as a whole, and I like to think that this was the best possible outcome, having you come back to us. I know it was for me personally, but I can't speak for you, Em." JJ paused, scooting a couple of inches closer to Emily and gently resting her hand on the other woman's upper back. "Do_ you _think you made a mistake? Are you happy?"_

_Emily took a deep breath. "I wasn't happy in London. I know that."_

" _Okay."_

" _I guess I just…when I decided to come back, there was a part of me that assumed it would be just like it was before I left. I mean, I knew it would be different without Morgan and Hotch, but, I don't know. I guess I just didn't realize how lonely it is to be unit chief."_

" _Oh, Em. I'm sorry."_

" _No, no JJ. I'm not telling you so you'll apologize or feel bad for me or whatever. I just miss the way it used to be, you know?"_

_JJ nodded as her hand moved up Emily's back, her fingers running gently through the hair in Emily's ponytail._

" _I miss being 'one of you,' if that makes any sense at all," Emily smiled sadly. "I feel like I'm never in on the jokes anymore, and I'm too busy with paperwork to meet up most nights you all go out, and, I don't know, do you guys even want me there? Do people like to drink with their boss?"  
_

" _I want you there," JJ spoke, softly. "And I'm sorry if I haven't been the best friend to you since you've been back. Things have been…weird since Will and I separated and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all."_

" _Please don't apologize, okay? It's not you. I mean, do I wish we were able to be closer? Sure. But…" she trailed off, blushing. "I'm rambling. I'm sorry."_

" _I wish we were closer, too," JJ hesitated a moment before reaching over and grabbing Emily's hand. "This is a good start though, right? Hanging out in a hotel room after a case, sharing our feelings, watching a great movie? Almost feels like old times?"_

" _Mmhmm," Emily hummed in agreement, glancing toward the television for the first time. "What movie is this anyway?"_

" _Excuse me, Emily Prentiss?" JJ asked in mock horror. "Do you not recognize_ Dirty Dancing _? Possibly the greatest chick flick ever made?"_

" _Never seen it," Emily responded. "What's it about?"_

"She's never seen _Dirty Dancing_?" Garcia interrupts. "How is that possible?"

JJ smiles, feeling some of the tension she was holding in her body begin to dissipate. "She claims it's a combination of our age gap and her living overseas for much of her life, but it feels a little suspect to me, too. We need to rectify that at a girl's night soon."

"Love me some Swayze, rest his soul," Garcia agrees. "Don't get me distracted though. If you guys did a little 'dirty dancing' of your own, _that's_ what I want to hear about."

"We only kissed!"

"Then quit dragging your feet and tell me about it!"

" _I_ have _heard this song before," Emily admitted, leaning back against the headboard as 'The Time of My Life' began to play. "So this is a dance contest?"_

" _You're adorable," JJ breathed, redness instantly rising on her cheeks as she realized she spoke aloud._

" _I – what?" Emily questioned, blushing herself._

_JJ turned in the bed, moving to face Emily instead of the TV. "I'm really glad you're back," she said quietly. And I'm really glad you're here, now, with me."_

" _JJ…"_

" _And I'm really, really sorry if I'm reading this all wrong," she whispered. And as Baby leapt up into Johnny's arms on the television screen, JJ took a leap all her own, her body leaning forward as her lips landed gently on Emily's own, one hand reaching up to rest gently against the older woman's cheek._

_Emily froze for a moment before her body reacted of its own accord, her hands moving to rest against JJ's hips, her head leaning to rest heavier against JJ's palm, her lips moving slowly against JJ's own. And as the song playing in the background drew to a close, they both pulled back, staring deeply into each other's eyes._

" _Wow," JJ whispered._

" _Wow," Emily echoed, even more quietly._

"Wow!" Garcia exclaims. "So you just went for it? Good on you, girl! I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Garcia," JJ warns again.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." She gets quiet for a moment. "So what happens next?"

"I don't know. I mean, it's Emily, right? She's my friend and, oh god, she's my boss. And besides, she's always dated men."

"As far as you know," Garcia emphasizes. "I happen to have it on good authority that you are not the first girl she's kissed."

" _I've_ always dated men," JJ continues. "I'm legally still married to one. I have two kids with him!" She pauses, taking a deep breath. "I've never kissed a girl before."

"Well, sweetie, did you like it? Is it something you want to do again?"

JJ doesn't answer for a long minute, her end of the call so silent Garcia is almost certain she had hung up the phone, before finally speaking again. "Definitely."


	12. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! L is for Love.

"I'm sorry to cancel our plans for tonight, but I think I'm just gonna get some sleep," JJ spoke, yawning. "I must've caught that cold from Michael, I feel like shit."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'll be fine, just need some rest. We've got the weekend off and the boys are with Will, so it's a good time to catch up on sleep anyway."

"Yeah, I know," Emily agreed, "but call me if you need anything, okay? And I'll check in with you tomorrow?"

"Okay," JJ answered, sleepily. "Talk soon."

"Yeah. Sleep tight, Jay."

"I will." She paused, an awkward break at the end of their conversations that was becoming more and more common these days. "Good night."

"'Night," Emily sighed, hanging up the phone. She'd noticed the pause soon after it appeared, she thinks, and while its presence made part of her want to run for the hills, there was an equal part of her that wanted to fill the pause, to hear JJ fill the pause, to finally put words to the feeling that had been growing between them for an entire decade in one way or another.

When Emily thinks back on it, JJ used to say 'I love you.' Back when Emily was still new to the team and working hard to build a friendship, she'd show up at JJ's hotel room door with her favorite coffee, five minutes before the team was supposed to meet in the lobby on a busy case; JJ would take a sip, smile, and moan out an "I love you" that Emily liked to pretend held an entirely different meaning. Or, that one time when JJ had signed her up to do an off-site consult with Reid four hours away but hadn't been able to book the jet, Emily had jokingly grumbled "I hate you," as she shot JJ a glare; she'd felt weak in the knees when JJ gave her a cheeky smile and responded "Love you too!" Even saying goodbye after a trip to the States felt totally worth it when JJ would pull her into a hug and whisper in her ear, "Fly safe, Em. Love you," and platonic as the words may have been intended, they would echo in her mind and heart the entire way across the Atlantic and then some.

But then it stopped. When Emily had come back to the BAU, for good this time, JJ just didn't say it anymore. And at first, Emily didn't miss it. She figured maybe there just wasn't a situation that would warrant it, no need for big goodbyes when they saw each other nearly every day. And then she started to wonder if maybe it was because she was the Unit Chief now, technically JJ's superior. The thought of any of them telling Hotch they loved him, jokingly or otherwise, was laughable. But then they'd kissed, one random night in a random hotel in some random city in Illinois while _Dirty Dancing_ played on the television in the background, and the air between them shifted, made space. Little spaces, first: the briefest pause between a kiss on the cheek and a "See you tomorrow," a glance that lingered a fraction of a second too long between a quick squeeze of hands together and an "I'm glad you're okay." As their relationship grew, the spaces did too, entering into nights spent wrapped up together in one of their beds, mornings they opened their eyes to see only each other, quiet stolen moments in the back of a police precinct when the craziness of their current case hadn't allowed them any time together in days. The space was there, but the words didn't come. And though JJ had said those words for years, she supposed it was different now. She supposed JJ didn't want to say something she wasn't ready to mean.

And maybe Emily wasn't ready to put words to her feelings quite yet, either, but she did love JJ. She wouldn't have shown up at her door unannounced an hour after she knew JJ went to bed if she didn't. But sitting at home after their phone call, thinking of her girlfriend sick in bed and all alone, Emily knew she'd feel better if she just stopped over tonight to check on her. She wouldn't even wake her - just let herself in, peek in on JJ to make sure she was okay, sleep in Henry's bed so she'd be nearby if JJ needed her. It was the right thing to do for someone you love, she continued to tell herself, even as she was climbing the stairs to JJ's bedroom. Even if they weren't quite there yet, _in love_ , it was still the right thing.

Emily turned on the flashlight on her phone to navigate JJ's darkened hallway, not wanting to turn a light on and chance waking her. Entering into the master bedroom, Emily's heart began to ache at the sight of her girlfriend, shivering under all the covers despite the sheen of sweat on her face, knowing she'd need to disturb her rest to get some medicine in her and bring the fever down. "Jay, sweetheart, wake up," she whispered, not wanting to startle her. "It's me."

Blinking her eyes open, JJ attempted to sit up before quickly falling back against the pillows, the room spinning around her. "Emily?"

"Yeah," Emily answered, resting a cool palm against JJ's forehead. "I'm sorry I woke you but you're burning up and you need to take some Advil. Is it in your medicine cabinet?" JJ nodded and Emily retrieved the pills from the en suite bathroom, handing them over with the bottle of water she's glad she thought to grab on her way through the kitchen. "Go back to sleep," she whispered once the pills were swallowed and the water set back on the nightstand.

"Okay," JJ agreed, rolling onto her side, her soft breathing settling into a slow pattern within seconds.

Emily stayed sitting at the edge of the bed, running her fingers gently through JJ's hair for a moment before moving to stand quietly. "Mmm," JJ breathed, causing Emily to pause in her movement. In the quiet, she couldn't miss JJ's small, sleepy voice as it spoke: "Love you, Em."

Emily felt her heart jump, her own voice coming out shy, vulnerable. "You do?"

"Mmhmm," JJ hummed again.

Emily watched as the last bit of tension left JJ's face, her body practically melting into the bed as she let sleep overtake her again. And when Emily was absolutely, completely certain that JJ was fully asleep, she whispered quietly, "I love you, too."


End file.
